Friday, May 14, 2010

I don't like it! What? Have I tried it? No, but I KNOW I Won't Like It!

I can not tell you how many times I have used the title of this entry in my life. A friend on Xbox pointed this out and it got me thinking as to why I put up such a block to try something new.

The primary usage of the "I know I don't like it because I know I won't like it" is usually found in my resistance to new foods. I have used it in other aspect of life, such as new routines, or daily activities so the way I will explain this should apply to those, but I will focus on food.

Food is a routine for me and I will order the same thing every time from each restaurant I go to. I have been eating at the Olive Garden since I was six years old, and I still order the same food I did then. Someone, of course, asked me if I would get a certain menu item they liked and I said, "No, I don't like it!" Then they logically asked me if I had tried it and then the normal debate ensued of how I could know I don't like something ahead of time.

So, how do I know I don't like something ahead of time? How could I know I would not like a dish with the name of Pasta Alfredo? I never thought it through before today, but I now realize I love the routine so I will not like anything that replaces what I already know. If I get the manicotti, and always have, why would I want anything else?

If something is new it is unknown. The unknown is scary and can't be predicted therefore I don't like it. If I already have something then I am happy with that one thing, so why would I want to change?

This is a classic example of spectrum like behavior. I'm sure parents the world over have had this argument with their children regardless if they are on the spectrum or not. For me, I feel it is a little different as I like what I already order so why would I want to change?

There are times that I have ventured out and tried something new. These events have all occurred when I was in a new environment and outside my region of routine. Take, for example, the SKUSA SuperNats you read about over the past three days, the first one I went to, on the 3rd day, burritos were served for lunch. I can not tell you how many times I have said, "I hate Mexican food." and "I can't stand the taste of burritos!" To be honest, I had, up to that point in my life, a total of one taco eaten in my life.

I was in a pickle, well, I was actually craving a pickle on a hamburger because I knew I hated burritos. The burrito sat that on the wall slowly cooling away. There was no other option for food. It was the burrito or no food for five more hours. I didn't want to cave in, I really didn't because I knew I would loathe the taste, but, I had to keep my energy up. That being so, I took a bite.

"HOT!" was what I shouted. I looked back to the score keepers and had a look of, "OH MY OH MY OH MY!" They laughed as I endured the "spicy" burrito, but as the shock of the spiciness ebbed, I was in shock; the horrible taste I predicted for myself turned out to be wrong as the beef and cheese and pepper burrito wasn't that bad. And on top of that I enjoyed the sensory part of crying because it was so hot.

Since then I get the volcano taco from Taco Bell each day I am at the office. What? Try something else there? Why would I want to do that? The only taco I like is the volcano. Everything else is stuff I don't like. What? Have I tried it? You already know the answer to that question and the cycle continues.

2 comments:

Make yourself a burrito:1. Microwave a tortilla for 35 seconds on each side.2. Open a can of beans and pour contents in microwave safe dish. Microwave the beans for one minute.3. Take beans out of microwave. Spread beans using a spoon on the tortilla.4. Wrap up the burrito and enjoy with a cherry coke.

Who I Am

Hello, my name is Aaron Likens and thanks for visiting my blog. I am the Autism Ambassador for Easter Seals Midwest and also the author of the book "Finding Kansas. My passion in life is to raise the awareness and understanding of the autism spectrum through this blog as well as the many presentations I give. For myself, as much as it is a passion, it is personal because I was given the diagnosis of Asperger's when I was 20. Back then there wasn't much info and I fell into a pit of despair. I stayed there for 15 months but then I eventually discovered myself through writing and now here I am and here you are on my blog. There are well over 1,000 posts on this blog as I started blogging in March of 2010. So whether you're reading today's blog, or are skimming through stories of the past, I hope that your time here gives you a better glimps of what living life on the autism spectrum, or, "other side of the wall" is like. If you do like what you see please follow me on Facebook as that's where I share when I've written a new blog as well as announcing where I will be presenting. Please note that the opinions expressed on this blog are mine and may not be reflective of Easter Seals Midwest.

Follow by Email

Subscribe To My Blog

The Aspie Traveler

The Aspie Traveler: Tokyo

Finding Kansas Revisited

To mark 10 years since I started writing my book I did a blog series with my thoughts from today on what I wrote then. This was the first time I ever read anything I had ever written.

The Sunglasses Experiment

I ran a sunglasses experiment to judge why eye contact is so difficult. I wore them for about 15 days, then I switched back to my normal glasses to see how big of a difference there was. By clicking my picture you can be taken to the page that has the complete experiement all in one place.

About Me

I am the Autism Ambassador for Easter Seals Midwest and also the author of Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger's Syndrome. My passion in life is raising awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders and to help the world understand how the mind of a person on the spectrum works. I can do this because I am on the spectrum (Asperger's).
I was diagnosed at the age of 20 and after the diagnosis a lot of my quirks made sense. I didn't understand who I was though and went into a deep depression. Through this depression though I became very keen on my inner self and I started to write. I wrote and I wrote and before I knew it I wrote a book.
5 years later I am, among other things, giving presentations to police, teachers, and parents and am now starting my quest on making the best blog possible!
The views on this blog are mine and may not be reflective of Touch Point Autism Services.
If you have any questions, or comments, or have an article idea please email me at aaron.likens@yahoo.com.